3D Studio Max R/3 In-Depth [With CDROM]

by Robert Polevoi

3ds max 4 In Depth provides readers with a comprehensive reference for creating effects for film, movies and games. Covers how to create simple and complex materials to be applied to the scene objects... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157610432X
• ISBN13: 9781576104323
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Coriolis Group Books
• Length: 700 Pages
• Weight: 2.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 7.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful learning aid for beginners

I found this book tremendously useful when I first started out using 3ds max. Of course, that was in it's previous max 3 incarnation, but it's usefulness to me has not diminshed. I teach 3d modeling classes at a technical college and I recommend this text to students who are looking for something more extensive then thier provided textbook, 3ds max 4 Fundamental Coursewares. While that book is quite useful in the tutorial respect, this book gives a more textbook reference approach to the subject. The book begins with the basics, things such as primative modeling and transform modifiers and builds from there into polygonal modeling, patch modeling and NURBS. Sections are well planned out and useful to me as a reference and teaching aid. Also, I found the sections about materials and track animation superb. I recommend this book to anyone who is starting in 3ds max or even to those that have used it for a while as a reference.

The Polevoi Factor

Rob Polevoi's 3Ds max 3 In Depth was terrific so I'm getting this one for my v4. Mr. Polevoi insisted on professionalism and steered we away from beginner habits that I should've abandoned long ago. He carefully explains things and tells you why it's the better way.

A fantastic MAX book

3ds max 4 In Depth should be your learning tool of choice for 3ds max 4! Rather than just listing a sequence of buttons to push and values to input, the authors explain the tools then follow up with clearly written exercises. This is the way to learn such an immense program. Many of images shown in the color section are simply amazing. I knew a little MAX before, but this book is stretching my abilities to their extents.

very good Max 3 overview !

This book covers a lot of material and takes you through most of the features of Max 3. After, reading the book you should really feel very comfortable with MAX and all thats left is to exercise your skills. There is only one important topic that this book doesn't cover in depth and is quite important: NURBS curves. These are the most powerful and flexible way of desigining models in max3, but they are also the most complex. Anyways since NURBS is an advanced subject, you should only consider learning them after mastering the basics. There is also one thing that you may not like about this book: Its only 700 pages, but it takes quite a while for you to read it. But I guess you can expect that, because of all the exercises the book tells you to do and all of the many many features of MAX 3 that it covers. In conculsion, this book is great for any Max3 newbie!

3D Studio MAX 3: In Depth

In response to the everpresent newbie question of "What is a good beginner's book for learning MAX?", I just had to put in a word for this book. AWESOME!If you are a novice MAX user who has completed the tutorials in the MAX 3 documentation, then this book is the one you want. It complements the MAX 3 tutorials far better than ANY book I've ever seen, and in my opinion is an absolute necessity for ANY beginner. Unless you're coming from a previous version, Polevoi's book will give you a deeper understanding of the program than you ever thought was possible. You get a truly overhead view of Parametric Objects, the Modifier Stack, Transforms, Coordinate Systems, Pivot Points, Home & User Grids, Instancing & Referencing, Arrays.....all in the first 5 chapters. He also bluntly describes what MAX does better, worse or just different in comparison to other 3D programs.....an expert perspective that you'll never get from the DISCREET insiders who write the New Riders books.I'm only 1/4 through the book, and I've never felt more "on top" of the program. The tutorials included in MAX 3 are a neccessary first step (and are far better than in previous versions), but the constant omissions never let you feel like you have a true grasp on the program. Polevoi's book puts everything you've done into an incredibly simple perspective.....you'll be silently saying to yourself "Wow!" and "Aha!" throughout the beginning of the book. No longer is the MAX interface a mystery that you hope will make sense later. This book gives you insight into MAX's underlying structure, and leaves you with a very encouraging context in which to view what you haven't learned yet. If your hopes of learning MAX are fading in frustration and depression, the book is better than Prozac. No kidding.